Awards and Honors

Awards and Honors Guidelines

The deadline for submission of nominations is 4 pm, January 25, 2019. Each nomination must be submitted as a single pdf document to Randa Freeborn in the CLAHS Dean’s Office. Questions about the college‘s honors and awards should be directed to Professor Joseph Pitt, chair of the Honors and Awards Committee, or to Interim Associate Dean Ivica Ico Bukvic (until the end of December) or Associate Dean Tom Ewing (January 2019 and onwards).

Please note that each nomination should be submitted as a single pdf document toRanda Freeborn

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Awards and Honors Committee invites nominations of faculty, staff, and graduate students for college recognition. This document includes all the necessary information related to the College’s awards. Please note that there is no limit on the number of award nominations that can be forwarded to the committee. For all faculty awards, winners are not eligible for re-nomination for the same award for a period of three years. We encourage all faculty, as well as staff and students, as appropriate, to nominate themselves or to nominate their colleagues.

To recognize outstanding faculty members in teaching of undergraduate and graduate students. Up to six awards will be given.

Recipient must be a full-time faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences for whom the teaching of undergraduate and graduate students is and has been an assigned responsibility. All nominations for the College Certificates of Teaching Excellence must follow the Academy of Teaching Excellence dossier guidelines.

Faculty who have been Certificate of Teaching Excellence award winners in the previous two years are encouraged to update and submit their dossiers for consideration for the Alumni Teaching Awards. The deadline for submitting CTE dossiers for ATA is February 9, 2019.

A complete dossier will contain the following items (see guidelines for details / templates):

Cover Page

Distinctive Contributions and Achievements

Nomination Letter

Teaching Statement

Student Perception of Teaching/Instruction

Letters of Recommendation and / or Peer Evaluations of Teaching

Additional Documentation

Appendix: Student Perceptions of Teaching form

The dossier is limited to 15 pages, excluding the cover page and SPOT form appendix.

Recognition: Certificate and $500 for professional development presented at awards reception.

The Academy of Teaching Excellence presents a dossier workshop to assist and encourage nominations. The workshop is scheduled for October 2, 4 pm, in 1080 Torgersen Hall.

Recipient must be a CLAHS full or part time salary or wage staff member, and must have been in their position for at least twelve months and employed by Virginia Tech for at least two years. Student wage and emergency hires are not eligible for this award. The employee who receives this award will not be eligible for consideration again for another three years and will be expected to serve on the nomination committee the year after winning the award.

Criteria for the Award:

• Promotes a team environment and positive morale through a congenial, supportive attitude.

The Diversity Award honors faculty, staff and graduate students who have made a significant contribution to improve campus climate with regards to issues of inclusiveness at Virginia Tech. One award will be given for Diversity contributions.

Recipient(s) must be College full-time faculty members, staff members, or graduate students, and must have been at Virginia Tech for at least three years. The award may be granted jointly to two or more persons when the diversity contributions were led by the College faculty members, staff, or graduate students. A measure of preference will be given to nominees whose work on diversity may not have been previously recognized through this or similar awards.

Criteria for the Award:

Evidence of a leadership role beyond the expectations of their positions and that has resulted in accomplishment of one or more of the following objectives:

Improve the quality of life for diverse groups at Virginia Tech;

Plan and implement institutional change related to issues of diversity; or

Educate members of the campus community to appreciate an increasingly diverse society.

Application materials:

A nomination letter (from self or others) describing the nominee’s qualifications and contributions to diversity at Virginia Tech and clearly indicating how these contributions and efforts to promote diversity go beyond normal job expectations. Information regarding previous awards should be included in the nomination letter (2 pages maximum).

A summary of the nominee’s activities (2 pages maximum).

Two letters of support from individuals familiar with the nominee’s contributions (1 page maximum each).

Recognition: Plaque and $1,500 for professional development presented at the awards reception.

To recognize an outstanding faculty member in an administrative role and/or with administrative responsibilities. One award will be given for the College Excellence in Administration.

Recipient must be a College full-time faculty member who holds one or more of the following positions at the department, school, or College level: director/coordinator of graduate or undergraduate studies; chair/coordinator of a particular academic option area within a department; principal investigator/project director of a sponsored research program; director of a center or laboratory; or department, school, or college administrator such as a dean, director, or department head. Nominees must have had administrative responsibilities at Virginia Tech for at least three years.

Criteria for the Award:

Evidence of excellence in the performance of administrative roles and responsibilities including exemplary leadership, management, planning and implementation of a program (center, department, school, college, project, etc.).

Evidence of competencies that have made an observable and positive difference in the unit (academic area, project, school, department, etc.).

To recognize outstanding faculty members in the advising of students. Up to two awards will be given for Excellence in Advising.

Recipient must be a College full-time faculty member or staff member for whom advising of undergraduate or graduate students is and has been an assigned responsibilityfor at least one year at Virginia Tech.

One winner of a College Advising Award who works extensively with graduate students wil be nominated on behalf of the College for the Graduate School Outstanding Mentor Award. Please indicate in the cover letter if the nomineee should be considered for this Graduate School Award.

Criteria for the Award:

Evidence of excellence in orienting students to the academic field;

Evidence of excellence in explaining policies and procedures that govern academic matters;

Evidence of facilitating students’ academic and professional success;

Evidence of excellence in mentoring students in their program and profession;

Evidence of mentoring students in externally directed and evaluated activities appropriate to the field, such as preparation for conference presentations, research publications, or application for competitive grants; and

Evidence of excellence in assisting students with career guidance and placement.

Application materials:

Letter of Nomination from self or others highlighting nominee’s advising expertise and success, such the number of advisees, advisees’ awards, career mentoring, orientation and other advisee development activities and/or products (2 pages maximum).

To recognize outstanding accomplishments and contributions in outreach and/or international initiatives. Up to two awards will be given for Excellence in Outreach and International Initiatives.

Recipient(s) must be College full-time faculty members or team of faculty led by a College faculty member. The recipient(s) must have been at Virginia Tech for at least three years and may be nominated as a team or as an individual.

Criteria for the Award for Outreach Activities:

Evidence of outstanding, focused, and innovative outreach program(s) geared to solve current problems or recognized needs of people or organizations; subject matter expertise; work with other organizations, group or individuals; communication methods utilized in the outreach program; creative methods or ideas used to solve the problems or meet the needs.

Evidence of dissemination of results through various means including, but not limited to, consulting activities, leadership recognition, books, major publications, professional awards or recognition, Cooperative Extension, Center-sponsored programs, web information sites, continuing education programs, education programs, or other activities within the College or university.

Criteria for the Award for International Initiatives:

Evidence of outstanding accomplishments and/or activities in international education, outreach, and/or research, such as, but not limited to:

Development and leadership of academic programs abroad;

Development of faculty or student exchange opportunities;

Curricular developments involving an international component;

Engagement in international scholarly or creative collaborations;

Engagement in international outreach.

The impact, significance, and sustainability of the accomplishments and/or activities will be considered by the review committee.

To recognize outstanding achievements by a faculty member or members in research and creative scholarship. Up to three awards will be given for Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship.

Recipient(s) must be College full-time faculty members, and have demonstrated exemplary research and creative scholarship at Virginia Tech for at least three years. The award may be granted jointly to two or more persons when the research was done jointly and was led by the College faculty member.

Criteria for the Award:

Evidence of sustained effort and achievement in the generation of new knowledge in a discipline represented within the College with a broad interpretation of research or creative design;

Evidence that the research and/or scholarly creative endeavors occurred while a member of the Virginia Tech faculty although the work may be a continuation of research started before joining Virginia Tech;

Evidence that the research and/or scholarly creative endeavor represents sustained work over a period of three years or more;

Evidence of each participant’s specific role and contributions when work was done jointly.

Description of the research area or creative contribution addressing both the importance of the area, the potential impact of the work, and its significance to the field.

Evidence in support of the nomination, which may include a bibliography of refereed articles, published reviews, books or monographs, extension publications, invited lectures, juried exhibits, visual evidence, or other examples of research or creative scholarship.

A curriculum vitae (any length permitted)

One or two letters of support from individuals familiar with the significance of the research or creative scholarship (1 page maximum each). Letters can be either internal or external.

Recognition: Plaque and $500 for professional development presented at the awards reception.

To support excellence in faculty scholarship within the college that reflects the engagement mission of the university. This award was made possible by the Niles family, alumni, faculty, and friends through the Dean Jerry A. and Ruth Anne Niles Fund for Faculty Excellence. Its purpose is to honor the vision and tireless work of Dean Niles to the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and to the field of education, and to recognize in particular his commitment to the university’s land-grant mission. In addition, the award honors Ruth Anne Niles, his wife, for her support of his work and the College. Jerry and Ruth Anne Niles will be invited to participate in the presentation of this award. One land grant scholar award will be given.

Recipient(s) must be College full-time faculty members who have been at Virginia Tech for at least three years and have demonstrated exemplary scholarship of engagement. The award may be granted to two or more persons when the work was done jointly and was led by a College faculty member.

Criteria for the Award:

The scholarship enhances the lives of individuals, families, communities or society beyond the walls of the university;

The scholarship is founded on a principle of mutual collaboration between the scholar and the public;

The scholar recognizes and articulates the reciprocal benefits of the collaborative and participatory nature of this work;

The scholarship is shared publicly in presentations or publications (ideally in partnership with community collaborators); and